Penrith Panthers fans have been partying late into the night in western Sydney after their beloved football team claimed their fourth consecutive NRL premiership on Sunday.
The champions beat the Melbourne Storm 14-6 in Accor Australia, scoring three tries to one in their fifth consecutive grand final.
If anyone thought ecstatic fans might have gotten a little tired of winning every title since 2021, Sunday night’s photos told a different story.
There were wild scenes on the streets of Penrith with joy etched on every face among revelers proudly sporting their Panthers jerseys.
Many fans held up four fingers for photographers, in case anyone had any doubts about how many times in a row the Panthers had won the premiership.
And many of those reveling also waved the iconic Penrith flag, which depicts the legendary western Sydney panther.
The delighted football tragics kept their hands in the air as if they just didn’t care, and as Monday is a public holiday in New South Wales, most of them don’t have to worry about work in the morning anyway.
Amidst spontaneous bursts of dancing, the rhythm was maintained by men playing drums to keep time.
Police were vigilant to ensure the celebrations did not get out of control.
If anyone thought the ecstatic fans might be a little tired of winning every year, photos from the night told a different story.
Penrith Panthers fans partied late into the night in western Sydney after their beloved team claimed their fourth consecutive NRL premiership on Sunday.
There was joy etched on every face among the revelers celebrating as their heroes took the title once again.
Many fans held up four fingers for photographers, in case anyone had any doubts about how many times in a row the Panthers had won the premiership.
Motorists passing through Penrith showed great patience as jubilant fans lined the main roads to express their delight at the Panthers winning another title.
Many motorists joined in by sounding their h
Mulgoa Road, one of the suburb’s main roads, was the center of the chaos as fans danced in the streets.
The wild panther that supposedly roams the local bush, and for whom the team is named, may be elusive, but the fans are anything but.
They have the jerseys and the flags, the replica jerseys and the huge smiles on their faces like only winners can.
Many of those reveling also waved the iconic Penrith flag, which depicts the legendary western Sydney panther.
The delighted football tragics kept their hands in the air as if they simply didn’t care
Monday is a public holiday in New South Wales, so most of them don’t have to worry about work in the morning anyway.
The man with the big drum kept the beat going as his fellow fans partied hard in Penrith.
On a warm spring night in Penrith, shorts proved popular with men, while many women sported crop tops.
But the weather and choice of clothing wouldn’t have mattered if the players hadn’t given it their all and won again.
Earlier in the evening, fans flocked to the Panthers Rugby League Club to watch the match.
Thousands of people crowded into the venue to ensure they had the opportunity to cheer their team to victory.
The Ivan Cleary-coached team became the first in six decades to win four consecutive premierships and the first in the NRL era.
Drivers and pedestrians united in their joy because the Panthers won another title.
A die-hard Penrith is shown holding the try sign she no doubt held up for each of the Panthers’ three tries.
They have the shirts and the flag and there are now four consecutive titles
The shorts proved popular with many young people on a warm spring night in western Sydney.
Two police officers are pictured watching the celebrations in Penrith.
Flags, balloons, replica jerseys, Penrith Panthers jerseys and a man with a drum.
With tries from Sunia Turuva, Liam Martin and Paul Alamoti, and a conversion from Nathan Cleary, the Panthers were too strong for the Storm.
Cleary, 26, was instrumental in the battle, although almost as much was said about his soccer star girlfriend Mary Fowler.
The Penrith playmaker didn’t have Fowler in the stadium to cheer him on due to playing for Manchester City on the other side of the world, but many fans watched the game thanks to her.
“Shout out to Mary Fowler’s mate for another PM win,” one full-time fan posted on social media.
On a glorious night in front of 80,156 fans at Accor Stadium, the Panthers became the first team to win four consecutive premierships since St George won 11 in a row between 1956 and 1966.
Sunday’s victory cemented their status as one of the best teams of the modern era, while their fans’ celebrations also cemented their status.
The historic win comes after NRL fans felt a wave of embarrassment upon realizing tickets were still available less than an hour before kick-off.
Holly Munday, Bella White and Annlin Biju enjoyed watching the grand final at the Panthers Rugby Leagues Club. Image: NewsWire/Monique Harmer
Fans packed the Penrith Panthers Rugby Leagues Club to watch the grand final. Image: NewsWire/Monique Harmer
There were several bursts of mass dancing as excited fans celebrated the Panthers’ fourth consecutive title.
It’s going to be a long night of celebrations for Penrith Panthers fans.
Fans took to social media on Sunday when they noticed there were still many unsold tickets for the NRL’s night of nights.
With kick-off scheduled for 7:30 pm, people who think they couldn’t get a ticket could still easily get one at 6:30 pm on the official Ticketek website.
The cheapest ticket was on sale for $199, while higher-priced packages ranged from $289 to $409.
ABC Sport commentator Brett Sprigg couldn’t believe tickets were still on sale.
“I’ve lived in Sydney for quite some time and love rugby league, but the AFL side of my brain can’t comprehend a grand final without a sell-out,” he wrote.
Many other NRL fans were also surprised to learn that the grand final was not sold out.
‘There are still plenty of tickets available for tonight’s NRL grand final. That’s embarrassing,’ said one.
Another added that price was not the reason people didn’t go to the game.